Direction-indicator.



F. E. IUSTUS. DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9,}915- 1,1 83,648. Patented May16,1916.

W/ T/VE 88158:

rnnn n. JUSTUS, or EL raso rnxas.

IDIREGTIONJNDIGAT OR.

messes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. if, 1916..

Application filed December 9,1915 Serial No. 65,898.

operated direction indicator, in the nature of an arm pivotally mountedin a casing and. operated by an electro-magnetically controlled leverwhereby to be moved into positions for indicating the directions inwhich the vehicle to which the device is applied, is aboutto move.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ,device ofthe class described which will be extremely simple, durable, elilcientin operation, and inexpensive to manufacture. v

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides inflthe construction,combination, and arrange- 'inentof parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in whichlike characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, of which- Figure 1 represents a. view in front elevation of adirection indicator constructed ac. cording to my invention. Fig. 2represents an enlarged. elevational view thereof with the front plate ofthe device removed. Fig. 3 represents a view in section taken verticallyand transversely on the plane indicated by the line .33 of Fig. 2.

The invention provides generally a on sing on whose front plate apointer is pivotally mounted, said pointer being controlled by a levercarrying a pin which extends through a slot in the front plate andengages in a slot in the pointer, said lever being mounted betweenelectro-magnets controlled by circuits including switches mounted on thesteering wheel of the Ina-1 chine or at some other convenient point.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5, indicates a casinggenerally,

. fornis the top, bottom and side walls of the housing within which theindicator Is mounted, said casing being provided witi an inwardlyextending flange 6 at itsfon ward edge. The floor or back the housingconstitutes a plate 7 having a plurality of outturned ears 8 riveted orotherwise secured to the casing 5, said. plate 7 being set within therear portion thereof in the man ner indicated in Fig. 3.- Toward theforward. portion of the housing, is arranged a partition 9 having aforwardly extending marginal flange 1O fitting within casing 5 and atits forward edge being arranged adjacent the flange 6;. Between thefront edge of flange 10 and the rear face of flange 6 is arrangedatransparentpane 11." This pane is arranged in spaced relation with thepartition 9. A; pair of spacer plates 12 are arranged adjacent thelateral edges of the plate 7, being secured thereto, and against theseplates the partition 9 rests, being secured thereto in any suitablemanner. bracket 13 of suitable design may be secured to the lowerportion of the casing 5,

1 to serve as means whereby the housing may be suitably connected on therear wall of the body of the automobile or other machine with which thedevice is to be used, or in some other desirable place. I

A pointer let is pivoted at its lower end upon a pin 15'oarried by plate9 near the .lower portion of the latter, said pointer being providedadjacent its pivotal point with a longitudinally extending slot 16through which a stem or projection 17 carried at the lower end of anoscillatory lever 18 extends. The stem 17 also extends through a curvedslot 19 provided in platewhich .23 secured to plate 22, wherebv thelever 18 will be normally retained in vertical po-. sition.

The lever 18 is controlled by two sets of electromagnets 24 mounted upontheplate and at the sides of the lever, and which dlverge toward thelower portion of the casing. One end of the winding of each magnet isgrounded on the plate 22 as at 25, and the other end is connected with abinding post 26. From each post 26 exsends a wire 27 and 28respectively, to switches 29 and 30 respectively, these switches beingconnected by a wire 31 with one pole of a battery 32, and at theopposite pole of the battery a wire 33 connects with the binding post 34carried on the plate 22.

When the switches are open the magnets are not energized, and the leverremains through the tension of springs 21 in a Vertical position, thusretaining the pointer 14: in vertical position. If however the vehicleis to make a turn, say, to the right, the switch 30 will be closed, thusclosing a circuit through the wire 31, switch 30, wire 28, binding post26, to the right hand magnet, and back through the plate 22 and wire 133 to the-battery, thus energizing the mag; net and drawing the lever18' against the tension of springs 21 toward the right. This will causethe shifting of the pointer 14: to the right hand side as indicated inFig. 1, whereby to indicate to the drivers of following vehicles that aturn to the right is to be made. hen the switch 30 is opened, the magnetwill become de-magnetized and the lever 18 will again resume its normalposition, thus moving the pointer back to the vertical. When the switch29 is closed a similar action takes place with respect to the left handmagnet and the pointer is drawn toward the left until the switch isre-opened.

Mounted upon the upper portion of plate 7 is a socket 36 within whichalight 37 is arranged. 'Any suitable arrangement whereby the light maybecome illuminated at will or when desired may be employed. The light 37extends through an-opening 38 pro-, vided in the partition 9 to bearranged with-. in the chamber formed between the partition 9 and thepane 11, whereby to properly illuminate the pointer 14. y

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, Imay desire to make such changes in the construction, combination, andarrangement of parts thereof, as do not depart from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

I'claim:

1. A device ofithe class described com-J- prising an open ended casinghaving an inwardly extending flange at its forward end,

casing and provided with ears adapted to be connected to the casing forholding the plate in position, a partition arranged within the casing inadvance of the plate, spacer plates arranged between said plate andpartition for maintaining the latter in position, said partition beingprovided with a forwardly extending .marginal flange, a transparent panearranged between said marginal flange and the inwardly extending platewithin the casing, a lever pivotally connected with said base plate anddepending therefrom, said lever having an outwardly bent portionextending through the slot in the pointer and through an arcuateslotprovidedin'the partition, a pair of leaf springs connected with thelever, pins against which the ends of the springs bear whereby to retainthe lever normally in vertical position, electro-magnets arranged uponthe said base plate on each side of the lever, said magnets divergingfrom each other downwardly, and means whereby either of the magnets maybe energized at will for attracting the lever.

2. A device of the class described including a casing, a" rear plate, apartition, and a transparent .plate arranged within the casing in spacedrelation to each. other, a pointer pivotally connected uponthe partitionbeneath the transparent plate, alever pivoted within the casing beneaththe partition, and being provided with an outwardly extending portionprojecting through a slot in the partition and into a slot providedlongitudinally of the pointer, spring means carried by the lever formaintaining the latter normally in vertical position, an electro-magn'etarranged on each side'of the lever, and means whereby either of theelectro-magnets may be energized at will fordrawing thelever in onedirection or another whereby to shift said pointer into directionindicating positions.

3. A device of the class described includ-- ing acasing, a pointerpivotally mounted thereon, a lever arranged within the casing andprovided with a- 'portlon extending through a slot in the pointer,spring means for normally maintaining the lever in vertical positionwhereby to maintain the pointer in neutral position, and electricallyoperated means for shifting the lever in one direction or another atwill whereby to move the pointer into dlrection indicating posi tions.

4. A direction ndicator including a casing shifting the lever in onedirection or an.- other at will, whereby to shirtv the pomter intodirection indicating positions.

Witnesses:

E..BARRATT, E. T. EDWARDS.

FRED E. JUSTUS.

